1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to beverage dispensers and in particular to a multiflavor valve assembly using microprocessor ratio control, and to a narrow dispensing tower using a single such multiflavor valve.
2. Description of the Prior Art
This invention employs certain features of a known ratio control system (described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,333), that controls the ratio of syrup to water using a syrup flow meter (such as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,440,030), a water flow meter, a syrup solenoid valve, a water solenoid vale, a microprocessor, and a personality module that tells the system what the ratio is supposed to be for the particular syrup to be used with that valve. Such known system will be referred to herein as a microprocessor ratio control system.
Using such known system to dispense six flavors, for example, it would be necessary to use six independent valves, which means six valve circuit control boards, six water flow meters, six syrup flow meters, six personality modules and 32 touch switches (or buttons on the selection panel).
It is an object of the present invention to provide a narrow, multiflavor dispensing valve and a narrow tower using one such valve.
It is another object of this invention to provide such a valve and tower using a known microprocessor ratio control system with the addition of an interface board with its own microprocessor.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved nozzle assembly for a multiflavor valve.